JoshC.

According to the most recent stuff, the 42 million euros is for the whole area (including Polle's, etc), and it's 35 million euro for Symbolica itself: http://www.efteling.com/NL/Over-de-Efteling/Pers-en-Publicaties/Persberichten/persberichten-persberichten/persbericht-nieuw-in-2017.html Anyways, we digress. Yay, Thorpe Dark Ride Hype!

I thought the latest figure was 35 million euros (ie about £26 million)? Unless that is just for the ride hardware, and the 42 million euros is the total investment cost?

According to CoasterForce's Twitter, 'Space Fantasy', one of the park's coasters, is getting the VR treatment this year as well.

I get all that. My point is simply that Thorpe are rumoured to be spending anything up to £35 million on this, which would be more than enough to invest in a trackless ride system. I'd be surprised if this is trackless, and know that based purely on ride system, Efteling are likely investing more into Symbolica than Thorpe are on this..

Trackless dark rides are becoming very affordable. If Efteling can get a trackless dark ride for £26 million in Symbolica, then I don't see why Thorpe couldn't invest in one.

Much like the jokes in this thread, we'll be go round and round and getting no where fast.

pluk's logic is sound about Automatons in my opinion. Same trademarking as Galactica, fits in with the idea of "minds wanted", Derren has a history of revolving work around them (Svengali; which is also Victoriana), Big Top featured an automaton (and that was of course littered with Easter eggs for this) and so on. Plus, it actually 'feels' like a name of a ride at a theme park, if that makes sense? Chronicles of London does have some things going for it, but it just doesn't sound right to me. And apparently, Chronicles of New York has also recently been trademarked? In my opinion, I reckon that's something to do with Madame Tussauds attractions.. So yeah, I feel like Automatons is the most likely name. And even if it's not the name of the ride, I feel like it will have something to do with this (ride vehicles or something maybe?).

I'm betting on a name reveal.

Very true about the ORP thing and I have no doubt that people will put their money in their pockets for them, but I just don't like them all that much. --- Also, the April opening thing is a bit of a weird one. Not having the big new thing open for the Easter weekend is a very strange decision to be honest, especially when this has been planned for so long?

Pointlessly Long Name: The Ride

It's more the fact that there will be a green screen photo point that annoys me. Even if the reason for the photo works perfectly within the story for the ride, I just hate the idea of having to stand in front of a blank screen, maybe with the odd prop, and having my photo taken.

I still don't know what to think about all this. All the reviews I've read about Alpen Express' VR treatment have been good (in that, it's a nice, novel, way to experience a coaster). And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit excited to try this out. But then all the standard worries crop up. How will throughput be affected? How will the VR vs non-VR work? How will the cleaning (of the goggles) work? Why on earth do we have to now have a blooming green screen photo point in the queue? What's this mean for Forbidden Valley? Is Air the right coaster to be doing this on? Is it really worth it? Will it have return appeal? As I say, I'm excited to try this out, and I'm sure that it'll be a good thing to experience at least once. But, at this stage, I have so many niggling concerns that just make me fear for this..

Only severe weather will cancel them. I've done one in very cold and windy conditions, and one in wet and windy conditions and had no problems. If the weather is particularly bad on your day, email them and just double check if it's still on / if you'd like to rearrange. They're always quick to respond and very helpful. Enjoy!

(Source: TPR) The Flying Aces entrance looks surprisingly good!

Or just close your eyes.

Wait, what? You mean we're not getting a Darude Dark Ride themed around a Sandstorm? The throughput of that Robotic Arm Ride would be fine given a suitable number of cars. It looks like it'd be pretty awesome, but I don't think that's what this'll be. Would love to be proven wrong though.

A short Press Release from the park has also been released: http://www.efteling.com/NL/Over-de-Efteling/Pers-en-Publicaties/Persberichten/persberichten-persberichten/persbericht-nieuw-in-2017.html (warning: it mentions roughly what the ride system is, so is best avoided if you want to avoid all spoilers). The dark ride itself is costing 35 million euros (approx £26 million), and is of course being designed for all the family and to be suitable for all nationalities. It sounds as if they are planning to make it all very interactive too. So all sounds incredibly exciting. On a completely different note, was anyone else amused by the similarities between the press release for this and WC16?

Efteling have announced on their Facebook page that Symbolica, the long awaited dark ride, will open in 2017 in the centre of the park. EDIT: Concept art...

^In fairness, most staff members at Thorpe won't have a clue what Derren's exact role is. Most will know as much as we do, and have likely just been told what to say if anyone asks; which will be the same vague response.

I'd retheme Stealth to Stealth VR. Riders would wear VR headsets, and the video would be of an extension of Stealth (twice the track length) that you go through at twice the real speed. Pretty sure it'd be the world's first Launched VR Coaster too, which is great.

Plopsaland aren't going to be Heiding away from posting construction pictures it seems... (From Plopsa's Twitter) I don't think it's been mentioned here yet, but apparently the construction of this is being split into two halves, with the coaster opening this year, and the majority of the theming coming next year.

Crudely speaking, marketing is designed to get people talking. And let's face it, for a video that probably took 30 minutes to shoot and edit, this isn't half bad.

Loggers Leap.

Just noticed there's some new photos on the Mind Gap section. Nothing too exciting, unless you like seeing bricks being laid or looking at beams, but it's...something I guess?

It also appears Clue 6 is now live. Clue to the clue: It's another video that tells us next to nothing.